Steve+CorbettLBF

Executive Summary
Data in the Learning, Boredom and Fun study was collected using Survey Monkey. 232 responses were received to the survey. 41.4% of the respondents were males and 58.6% were females. The respondents ranged in age from 7 to 86 years old and the average age was 35. Over 70% of the respondents had collegiate and/or graduate degrees.

The responses were downloaded and numbered in an Excel file. A content analytic framework with eight tags was created based on the ADDIE model and the three main types of instructional theory; Constructive, Cognitive, and Behaviorist. A column for each tag (e.g. Analyze, Design, Development, Implementation, etc.) was added to the spreadsheet and the responses were analyzed against them. A notation was made in the tag's column only if the comment showed a clear indication that the tag applied to the situation. Multiple tags could be assigned to each response. Tagging results were then summed and those numbers were used to make generalizations. Additional generalizations were made by reviewing the statistical results provided by Survey Monkey.

Based on the content analysis, proper execution of the Analyze, Design, and Implementation phases were particularly important factors in determining if a learning experience turned out to be "fun" or "boring."

What Makes Learning Boring?

 * 1)** **Survey respondents reported that** **an unsuitable environment for delivering instruction** **was a significant factor in the experiences they considered "boring."** Based on the content analysis, 62% of the responses reflected problems normally addressed by the Implementation phase of the ADDIE model. The size of the room, the temperature, the number of other students, distractions inside or outside the room, and the time within the day (or year) were some of the many environmental factors cited by respondents that tended to create a "boring" experience for them. For example, Patton O described a food-handler's training course where he was "uncomfortable because it was a classroom setting where there was silence and lots of people crammed in a room together, so I felt claustrophobic." Michael related about a graduate course he took in which "the class was in the middle of the afternoon and the lights were off, it was very difficult to stay awake." Effective execution of the Implementation phase of the ADDIE model could potentially reduce boredom as it would help ensure selection of a suitable learning environment for delivery.


 * 2)** **Survey respondents reported that instructors exhibiting poor preparation, communication, and facilitation skills during the** **delivery of instruction** **was a significant factor in the experiences they considered "boring."** Instructors with monotone voices or displaying lack of enthusiasm for the topic were often cited by respondents as contributors to a "boring" experience. Teacher24 recalled a high school science class where "the instructor was monotonous and tended to repeat." Cheese described a formal lecture course where the instructor "had a flat tone, and did not make the material come alive, no stories, no fun facts. Just stood there and talked. No interaction with the audience. They seemed uninterested in their own material." Poor preparation by instructors was also a contributor to a "boring" experience. ArcheryNoni described an experience in a software course where the instructor "wasn't really familiar with the application she was supposed to be training us to use." Effective execution of the Implementation phase of the ADDIE model could potentially reduce boredom as it would help ensure an instructor is more prepared for delivery of instruction and ensure an instructor with the needed communication and facilitation skills is selected. In addition, if some formative evaluation occurred (e.g. rehearsal with feedback) prior to actual delivery, instructors may be able to improve their communication and facilitation skills.


 * 3) Survey respondents reported that courses that failed to consider their needs, preferences, and prior knowledge created** **experiences they considered "boring."** Based on the content analysis, 40% of the responses reflected problems normally addressed by the Analyze phase of the ADDIE model. Sparty pointed out that the audience's preferences were not considered for a graduate class session on multivariate analysis, saying "There was limited appeal to different types of learning; I'm a visual learner and thrive on legible whiteboard notes and handouts, for example, neither of which were provided." Scott gave an example of a corporate training experience where audience needs were not adequately considered, saying "The training was mandatory for all employees even though there were many people who probably didn't need it." Billy Meade found a demonstration delivered in a software training class to be useless because most of it related to tasks that he hadn't done before. This indicated the instructor had not considered that some of the students lacked prerequisite knowledge. Dav Lin described an experience in a high school Computer Applications course where he already knew the material, "This was boring to me because I already knew more than what he was teaching and even more." Effective execution of the Analysis phase of the ADDIE model could potentially reduce boredom as it would help ensure audience needs, preferences, and prior knowledge are identified before designing the instruction.


 * 4)** **A majority of the** **experiences considered "boring" by respondents included instructional strategies commonly associated with Behaviorist instructional theory.** Only 90 of the 214 responses reviewed could be tagged against an instructional theory based on the amount of information provided. Based on the content analysis, 91% of those 90 responses were tagged as Behaviorist. A learning experience is considered to be based in Behaviorist instructional theory when no opinion is needed or sought from the student and the instructor specifically defines what students need to meet and do (e.g just recite the facts they are given). 49% of the respondents indicated that their experience was considered "boring" because interaction with the instructor was definitely not expected. This further supports that Behaviorist based instruction is likely to be considered "boring." As an example, Lindz described a high school world history class where "there was no chance to interact with others to discuss the content at all. We were just supposed to sit there and complete work." Appletown Android attended a technology certification training class that was disengaging because it used a Behaviorist strategy instead of a Constructivist strategy. According to Appletown Android, "the process of rote memorization was not a good fit for this study and forced the student to memorize solutions vs. giving them the ability to learn to troubleshoot any issue on their own due to gained familiar knowledge of the equipment and processes."


 * 5) A large majority of survey respondents (65%) reported that they were definitely not expected to interact with an artifact or technology in the experiences they considered "boring."** Masher described a disappointing experience at a session devoted to learning all about Oracle's Thinkquest.com where "the real downfall of the presentation was that the real website was not even accessed. You can't demonstrate a website with a PowerPoint. Go to the actual website to demonstrate a website." ArcheryNoni described an experience in a software course where "the training was supposed to be a hands-on learning experience about a new web-based software application. Instead it was a lecture with no interaction and no hands-on activities." Most of the respondents described classroom experiences, so it was difficult to determine if training delivered through technological media would be more "fun" than experiences without it; however, it was clear from these two comments that training for technology should include some form of hands-on use of the technology to avoid being "boring."

What Makes Learning Fun? (20% complete)

 * 1)** **Survey respondents reported courses designed with hands-on and interactive activities** **provided experiences they considered "fun."** Based on the content analysis, 59% of the responses reflected elements of training normally addressed by the Design phase of the ADDIE model. Craig Laig described a field trip to the Star of India "Gold Digger Express" where "The experience was hands-on, and it was multi-layered. We learned about the ship and the time period in a unique way (not books, or even videos -- it was like being in a video)." Boy Scout cited Boy Scout Summer Camp as "an interactive hands-on experience with nature. Not only did it keep the mind engaged, but it was a physical challenge." Ava A said "I am more of a hands on learner, I will lose focus if there is little to no group interaction." Selecting an instructional strategy during the Design phase of the ADDIE model that includes interactive elements could increase "fun". Training that immersed students directly into content through role play was particularly effective. For example, Ecuakatie cited an experience where she "got to walk on the same field as the Confederate soldiers had walked. We got to dress-up in soldier uniforms, play the part of a soldier, be outside, and share an experience that connected us to the actual battle. We were surrounded by environmental cues (uniforms, cannons, fields) and we had recently studied the Civil War, so the context was clear. The experience was real and I could connect with it easily." Lessons with games included in the design also increased fun. According to Lou, "I thought playing the game was a fun way to test our knowledge it was interesting to see how much we all knew and we had fun too."


 * 2) The content analysis confirmed that the "fun" experiences of respondents was influenced by elements addressed by the Implementation phase of the ADDIE model.** Based on the content analysis, 55% of the responses reflected elements of training normally addressed by this phase of the ADDIE model. The right environment could increase fun. Bobbie fondly recalled a sweatshirt decorating training event where "the class was small so the teacher was able to give individual instructions." Preparation, organization, and effective speakers also increased the likelihood of a course being considered fun. As an example, BHarms had fun at a 3-day teacher orientation seminar because "There were clear schedules which helped make the day go by faster. There were breaks provided as well as time just to stand up and get the blood moving. There were highly motivated and sincere speakers." Jewel also had fun in a course because the "instructor was energetic and enthusiastic about [the] material and [was] interactive with students."


 * 3) The content analysis confirmed that the "fun" experiences of respondents was somewhat influenced by elements addressed by the Development phase of the ADDIE model.** 28% of the responses reflected elements of training normally addressed by this phase of the ADDIE model. The level of quality and variety of media and materials developed for a course contributed to a fun experience. Fiber One enjoyed an aquarium tour because "the signs that accompanied the different tanks had clear pictures that showed the tanks inhabitants with interesting facts about that animal so it was easy to learn about the different habitats. The interactive displays were varied, from actual hands-on tide pools to tactile models of the skin of different marine life. There were also computer kiosks with interactive information and a large screen showing a marine documentary available." W enjoyed an audio tour of Alcatraz because "We were able to stop and start the tape which allowed us to go at our own pace. The tape also included a number of different personal experiences from many people, in addition the the hard facts. It really painted a picture of what it was like when the prison was in operation."


 * 4)** **A majority of the** **experiences considered "fun" by respondents included instructional strategies commonly associated with Constructivist instructional theory.** Only 129 of the 212 responses reviewed could be tagged against an instructional theory based on the amount of information provided. Based on the content analysis, 78% of those 129 responses were tagged as Constructivist. A learning experience is considered to be based in Constructivist instructional theory when students create their own understanding. As an example, ArcheryNoni cited that in one course "We were given a folder with all the information we needed to follow-though with the ideas on our own." Teacher M recalled a Chicano Studies class where "The whole experience just seemed worthwhile and rewarding. I left the class with new insight and the process of finding that insight was challenging because it asked me to take risks. I had to step outside of my comfort zones and try new things. The experience of Change was fun. The instructor was smart and let me come up with my own conclusions on issues and experiences." Constructivist strategies promote ,critical and creative thinking. Experiences that involved critical and creative thinking were often cited by survey respondents as fun. Cheese described a change management event that was a fun experience because "We were being creative, imaginative, analyzing concepts and theories and discussing with peers. Our work was based on real live organizational events and we worked with actual employees of that organization. The outcome was very practical and realistic. The process was very engaging and fun, collaborative."


 * 5) A majority of survey respondents (55%) reported that they were definitely expected to interact with an artifact or technology in the experiences they considered "fun."** From an educational technologist perspective, this statistic provided confirmation that using technology in learning experiences helps to make learning more "fun." As an example, Rosie described an Art History where she had fun because "We would view an artifact and name five things about the artifact so we learned about the piece of art and the history occurring at the time and it really sparked my interest as a whole about history." Freaky Frog described a class where "The teacher made learning French fun by encouraging the students to learn the culture as well. We did this through food, etc. We learned the language in a fun setting sitting around talking about the food we brought, the recipes, and why the food was important to French culture." Training delivered through technological media was also considered a contributor to fun. For example, Beth O recalled enjoying a college course because "because it involved video."

**Implications**
This exercise gave me significant insights into the preferences of adults. 66.3% of the respondents were 18 or older and over 70% of the respondents had finished their undergraduate degree, had some graduate education, or had finished their graduate degree. Based on the results of this exercise, I have learned that adults prefer lessons based on the Constructivist learning theory. By building a lesson centered on helping adult students create their own understanding, I can increase the likelihood they will consider the learning experience "fun."

This exercise has also made it evident that adult learners prefer courses to be well designed, efficiently implemented, and built in context of their needs, preferences, and prior knowledge. It will be important to place particular emphasis on the Analysis, Design, and Implementation phases of the ADDIE model as failures in these phases significantly impacted if an experience was considered "fun" or not. Although I was unable to determine from my analysis how much the Evaluation phase of ADDIE factored into an experience being "fun," formative evaluation techniques such as rehearsals and prototyping should specifically assess if sufficient elements of "fun" are built into the lesson.